Engine.



Patented May 13, 1902.;

, ii. .w p i EEHEME%W% WIJ v Inventor, aeogye lfwlu'bzgy,

G. E. WHITNEY.

ENGINE. (Application filed Jan. 13, 1902.

l lllluulll mm I ETRSGO noun W5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOTOR WAGON COM PANY, MAINE.

OF KITTERY,'MAI NE, A CORPORATION OF ENGINE.

slE-CIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,995, dated May 13, 1902. A

Application filed January 13, 19Q2. Serial No. 89,490. (No model.)

IO My invention relates to engines, particularly of the'type wherein is employed a recip-- rocating piston, the piston-rod of which is jointed to a connecting-rodwhich actuates a usual crank. Enginesof this type, particularlysuch as are usedin exposed places such, for instance, as when mountedupon and to operate an automobilecause much annoyance by reason of the difliculty in lubricatin g the ordinary sliding cross-heads and 20 guides and the rapidity with whioh the rubbing-surfaces thereof wear away in spite of most careful attention on the part of the operator. To overcomethis trouble, attempts have been made to employ ball-bearin g crossheads, wherein the cross-head, for instance, is grooved longitudinally to receive a ball, which also travels in a corresponding groove in the stationary or fi'xediguide on the frame;

but it has been found in practice that ballbearingcross-heads producefrequent breakage of the piston-rod, because the ball in rolling from one tot-he other end of the-crosshead as the latter reciprocates occupies a position directly opposite the wrist-pin at only 5 one point in the entire'length of stroke of the cross-head, said ball at other times being more or less out of position relative to said wrist-pin, either above or below it, according to the position of the cross-head. Thus at 40 either end of its stroke the ball'occupies a position at one end of the cross-head, and not until the cross-head has moved through onehalf its distance from one to the other extreme position does theball in its movement reach a position opposite the wrist-pin. Consequently during the entire first half of the movement in either-direction of the crosshead, during'a part of whichtime the side thrust upon the cross-head is almost at its maximum, the ball is offset from or to one side of the wrist-pin. Consequently the entire side thrust upon the wrist-pin tends/t0 skew the crosshead and break the pistonrod. To obviate this difficulty and to avail so far as possible of the advantages of a rolling contact between the cross-head and its guides, my present invention comprehends the use of a wheel mounted upon the end of a piston-rod and preferably mounted upon the wrist-pin itself and which is rolled back and forth by the reciprocationsof the pistonrod, said wheel atit s periphery rolling upon the stationary guide to preserve the alinement of the pistona'od. This insures always a point of contact betweenthe cross-head and guide which isdirectly opposite the axis of the wrist-pin whatever be the position of the latter. Consequently there can be no tendency of the side thrust to break the piston-rod or any connected part, as is the case with a ball-bearing;

My invention willlbe best understood from a description of oneembodiment thereof.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 in side elevation illustrates a typical engine equipped with a wheel cross-head made in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on the'dotted line 2 2 upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3, a vertical sectional detail through the cross -head and embodiment of my invention therein illustrated, A is the cylinder,and B 13 frame members secured thereto 'and'carrying at their lower ends suitable bearings foracrank-shaft O, provided with 'a crank 0, all of which are and may be of usual or desired construction. The usual piston-rod a is here shown as threaded at its end and screwed into the crosshead I), being held by a lock-nut a. The cross-head is provided with a central aperture b for the bearing-block 17 which, with the lower end wall of the cross-head, constitutes the cross-head bearing for the reception of the wrist-pin c. The end of the piston-rod is shown as resting against the bearing-block b in order that any wear of the wrist-pin hearing may be taken up by slackening the lock-nut a and screwing the piston-rod inward to set said bearing-block against the wrist-pin.

The ends of the wrist-pin c are shown as extended beyond the cross-head at each side of the latter, such extended ends presenting conical portions 0 c, facing in the same direction, upon which are clamped the arms (1 of the bifurcated end of the connecting-rod d, which actuates the crank C. Beyond these conical portions 0 the extended ends of said wrist-pin are reduced at c c to receive the bushings 0 upon which are rotatably mounted the guide wheels 0 Nuts a, threaded upon said reduced ends c 0 serve' to clamp the parts securely in position.

The bushings c are preferably flanged on twardly at their inner ends to bear upon the adjacent faces of the arms 01 of the connecting-rod, and a straight bushing c is interposed between the arms d' of the connectingrod, so that the nut c at the bottom of Fig. 2, it tightened, will act through the adjacent bushing 0 upon the connecting-rod arms d and intervening bushing c and draw the wrist-pin longitudinally through said connecting-rod to cause its conical portions 0 c to take up any slack between said conical portions and the arms of the connecting-rod surrounding the same. This makes it possible at all times to obtain atight fit between said connectiugrod and wrist-pin to cause the latter to move with and non-rotatably in said connectingrod and to turn freely in the cross-head bearin g described.

One of the reduced ends of the wrist-pin as, for instance, that marked c may be further extended to provide an operating connection for a usual pump.

The guide-wheels 0 roll freely upon the fixed guides e e, suitably attached, as by bolts 6', to the frame members B B, said guides preferably having flanges or lips e to take any side thrust of said guide-wheels and to insure correct alinement of the reciprocating parts.

The guides e e are spaced one from the othera distance slightly exceeding the diameter of the wheels 0, so that when the engine is running in one direction, with the guidewheels rolling against one of the guides 6, said wheels will clear the other of said guides, and when the direction of movement of the engine is changed the guide-wheels will of course be caused to run in contact with the other guide e and clear the first-mentioned guide.

The rotative movement between the wristpin or its bushing and its guide-wheels c is slight, never amounting to a full rotation of said wheels, and as the bearings thereupon are in line with and virtually a part of the structure for the necessary bearing between the wrist-pin and connecting-rod no additional difficulty is experienced in lubrication and there is no appreciable additional wear or trouble from dust. In other words, since a bearing at the wrist-pin is necessary for the connecting-rod the addition of the guidewheels thereat, considering their slight r0- tative movement, is not an objection of consequence. On the other hand, a free rolling contact is obtained against the guides, which requires no lubricating, is always movable with and opposite the Wrist-pin to receive di rectly the side thrust thereupon, hence introduces no tendency to break the piston-rod, and is never loose or liable to fall, as are balls when employed.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof here shown and described as an illustration of my invention, as the same obviously is open to Various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim- 1. An engine containing a piston-rod, a connecting-rod, a wrist-pin joining the two, a guide and a guide-wheel mounted on said wrist-pin.

2. An engine containing a piston-rod, a connecting-rod, a guide-wheel connected with and moved by said piston-rod, and guides arranged at opposite sides of said guide-wheel.

3. An engine containing a piston-rod, a connecting-rod, a plurality of guide-wheels having coincident axes arranged at opposite sides the axis of said connecting-rod and connected therewith and movable thereby and guides for said wheels.

4. An engine containing a piston-rod, its connecting rod, a cylindricalfaced guidewheel and a guide therefor, said guide and guide-wheel together presenting perpendicular side guiding means to receive the side thrust of said wheel.

5. In an engine a connecting-rod having a forked end, a wrist-pin provided with conical portions firmly held therein, a cross-head in which said Wrist-pin turns, and a plurality of guide-wheels mounted on said wrist'pin and guides therefor.

6. In an engine having a wheel cross-head, a pair of wheels, a connecting-rod and a crosshead arranged between said wheels, a wristpin extended through said cross-head, connecting-rod and wheels, with means outside said wheels and acting upon the parts between said wheels but not by means thereof, to move said wrist-pin axially.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

M. J. BUECIILER, E. P. NORMANDIN. 

